Chart of the Week: What are the most popular mapping apps?

Chart of the Week: What are the most popular mapping apps?2018-05-302018-05-30https://www.vertoanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/verto_logo_rgb.pngVerto Analyticshttps://www.vertoanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/verto-analytics-chart-week-mapping-apps.png200px200px

With Memorial Day barely in the rearview mirror, consumers in the U.S. (and around the world) are gearing up for prime summer travel season. Roadtrips are a classic travel staple; with more brands angling to attract the attention (and dollars) of automobile-loving consumers as they plan their summer getaways, Verto Analytics examined mapping apps – one of they key ingredients to a proper road trip (or any vacation planning session). Which mapping tools are consumers (among U.S. adults, ages 18 and above) using the most often? This analysis of mapping apps was also included in our latest Verto Index: Travel.

What are the most popular mapping apps?

Are maps the killer app? Based on Verto Watch data, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, seeming to be cementing its grip in the mapping space through properties like Waze and Google Maps. Our data shows that consumers spend an average of almost four hours per month using Waze (a navigation app often used by Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as being incorporated into Android Auto) and 98% of that use is on mobile devices – pointing to its popularity as an on-the-go mapping tool. And while Google Maps users spend only about 1.5 hours per month using the service, its huge reach and audience base of 154 million monthly users (72% reach) indicates that Alphabet has cultivated a strong family of nearly-indispensable mapping tools and services.

While our data for Apple Maps only includes the 23 million monthly users on mobile devices (ie., consumers using Apple Maps on a smartphone or tablet), a look at usage and engagement metrics reveals that it still lags far behind Alphabet’s offerings: the average Apple Maps user spent just over 30 minutes per month with the app, compared to Alphabet’s offerings. And those metrics continue to decline among users for other mapping services: MapQuest’s 21 million users spend just 28 minutes using the service per month, while the typical Yahoo!Maps user (the service itself has less than 3 million monthly users) only spend six minutes per month using the service.

Connie is the global content marketing director at Verto Analytics. Prior to Verto, Connie held positions at ABB and Gigaom, and worked with brands like AOL and Zendesk. When she's not tracking down (and telling) interesting stories behind Verto's data and people, she's busy cycling around Berlin in pursuit of strong coffee and interesting music.